Quotes of the day

posted at 10:41 pm on October 22, 2013 by Allahpundit

Following the troubled rollout of the website behind Obamacare, very few Americans said the launch is going well, according to a new poll out Tuesday.

Only 12 percent said the enrollment process on Healthcare.gov is going well, the CBS survey shows. Almost half of Americans say it isn’t and 38 percent say they can’t evaluate.

***

Today, we are announcing key steps the Department is taking as part of a tech surge to continue to improve the consumer experience on HealthCare.gov…

We’ve also brought in additional experts and specialists drawn from within government, our contractors, and industry, including veterans of top Silicon Valley companies. These reinforcements include a handful of Presidential Innovation Fellows. This new infusion of talent will bring a powerful array of subject matter expertise and skills, including extensive experience scaling major IT systems. This effort is being marshaled as part of a cross-functional team that is working aggressively to diagnose parts of HealthCare.gov that are experiencing problems, learn from successful states, prioritize issues, and fix them…

We will continue to keep you updated on our progress on improving HealthCare.gov.

***

President Barack Obama didn’t know about the problems with the Affordable Care Act’s website — despite complaints from insurance companies and the site’s crashing during a test run — until days into its now well-documented abysmal launch, the nation’s health chief told CNN on Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius admitted Tuesday that there is significant concern in her department and the White House over the technical debacle surrounding the Obamacare website’s rollout. The site was supposed to make it simple for people to search and sign-up for new health care policies starting on October 1, but instead it’s been clunky and, at times, inoperable.

***

Mike Hash, who directs the Office of Health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services, will brief House Democrats Wednesday about implementation of the Affordable Care Act…

“Far too much information about Obamacare’s rollout is being concealed from the public,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said. “All members – as well as the American people – deserve answers for this debacle. That’s why we have asked the administration to provide the same briefing to House Republicans. This snub is all the more offensive after Secretary Sebelius declined to testify at a House hearing this week. It’s time for the Obama administration to honor its promises of transparency and face some accountability.”

***

The that experts say the problems need to be fixed by Thanksgiving to keep the program on track. But there are already murmurings the repair project could go past December 15, the New York Times. The same story mentioned that potentially 5 million lines of computer code could need rewriting. If that’s true, it sounds like it could be the code-writing equivalent of the D-Day invasion — massive, complex and arduous.

Which is not exactly what nervous Democrats want to hear. But they’re sure to ask about it at an Obama administration for House Democrats on Obamacare’s travails scheduled for Wednesday morning. (House Republicans are requesting a similar briefing as well.)

For the congressional Democrats whose votes made the Affordable Care Act a reality and who will have to defend their support for the law in the 2014 mid-term elections, the problems with the federal website are a political nightmare.

Secondly, ObamaCare did not need to be founded on misdirection and hidden taxes on the young. It actually would have been a better program and cheaper for the country if it hadn’t been.

Finally liberals hate to be told their hardball policy aim is to make more Americans dependent on government. But in a year or two thousands or millions of older, sicker ObamaCare customers may find their premiums soaring when the young and healthy didn’t show up to subsidize their care. Then what?

***

Time to panic? No. But it’s time to prepare to panic. It sounds like the earliest anyone is projecting fixes is sometime in the middle of November. That’s the time when it absolutely has to work — and if it doesn’t, we should panic. Maybe not “Get in the shelter, Homer!” panic, but I’d definitely think about rebalancing the 401(k) and maybe voting in some politicians who will treat this with the gravity it deserves, rather than giving Rose Garden speeches saying that everything’s basically A-OK if you don’t look at the parts that don’t work! Because make no mistake: If this piece doesn’t work, then most of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act doesn’t work…

Judging from President Obama’s speech, the administration has decided to triple down on the “burn the boats” strategy pioneered by Hernan Cortes in his conquest of Mexico: Make a total commitment in the hopes that this will somehow enable you to overcome impossible odds. There was no sign of a Plan B (other than call centers), no hint that they might consider a full or partial delay if they couldn’t get the systems working on time. Presumably they think (correctly) that the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to implement a delay, because so many people will have lost their existing insurance and/or bought new policies through the exchanges. But as I pointed out last week, while the “burn the boats” strategy sometimes ends with an improbable victory, the problem is that the other way it ends is in . . . well, a death spiral.

I get that progressive techies didn’t set things up that way, and left to their own devices, can produce pretty good results (see the 2012 Obama campaign). But the governing philosophy they support is at odds with the startup mentality they also embrace. For better or worse, the impulse for a bigger government that makes more health care decisions goes hand in hand with bad procurement laws administered by a unionized federal workforce bullish on routine and bearish on innovation.

This is how we get a bureaucracy that, when it comes to technology, moves slow and still breaks things.

***

Want to know the names of the individuals and companies leading the “tech surge” called in to fix Obamacare’s main website? If you ask “the most transparent administration in history,” you’re basically out of luck…

“If these individuals work for companies that have business before the White House, business before the Congress, do you think, in the interests of transparency, it would be a good idea to list the people and their companies?” asked Ed Henry of Fox News.

“At this point, Ed, I just don’t have more information than I gave you. I would refer you to HHS,” Carney replied, referring to the Department of Health and Human Services…

The problem? An HHS press officer that Yahoo News reached by email wouldn’t comment on the record, while a question submitted via a complex form on the agency’s website never even got a reply.

Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, made the request in a letter to Google, Microsoft, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, Oracle and Expedia, committee spokeswoman Caitlin Carroll said…

“Despite the President’s assertion that ‘we’re well into a “tech surge”‘ neither the White House nor HHS is providing additional details about which private sector companies have been engaged or whether they are being engaged through the appropriate procurement processes,” Issa said in the letter.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

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“Coinciding with challenges in the rollout of the U.S. Affordable Care Act are challenges for NHS. The Independent reports, ‘A National Health Service free at the point of use will soon be “unsustainable,” if the political parties do not come forward with radical plans for change before the 2015 election, top health officials have warned. Stagnant health spending combined with ever rising costs and demand mean the NHS is facing “the most challenging period in its 65-year existence,” the NHS Confederation said … In a frank assessment of the dangers faced by the health service, senior officials at the confederation say that the two years following the next general election will be pivotal in deciding whether the NHS can continue to provide free health care for all patients. “Treasury funding for the service will be at best level in real terms,” they write. “Given that demand continues to rise, drugs cost more, and NHS inflation is higher than general inflation, the NHS is facing a funding gap estimated at up to £30bn by 2020.”‘ From The Guardian: ‘Our rose-tinted view of the NHS has to change.’ More at the Independent, Mirror, and Telegraph.”

British NHS May Soon No Longer Offer Free Care
Resist We Much on October 22, 2013 at 10:41 PM

“Suspected “health tourists” who are unable to prove that they are eligible for free care on the NHS will be forced to pay for treatment, while visiting foreign students will be required to make a contribution towards their medical expenses.”

Adding to the growing list of reasons for the failure in the Obamacare website rollout. CNN’s Joe Johns reports that the government did not know what they wanted from the website. The report concludes that the government “ kept changing the goal post…making it difficult for contractors to deliver a product.”

I think the Healthcare.gov site has removed some of the front end data gathering. I just saw a Tweet with a link to plans with premium numbers without the subsidies.

This should sell well.

d1carter on October 22, 2013 at 10:45 PM

.
In terms of the Charlie Foxtrot’ed website …

… it’s the best option, the SCOAMF administration has to get the overall website up off the ground.

I’m betting the “See Plans in Your Area” links to a COMPLETELY different website/server base.

They already know people are backing out because of sticker shock, so they have nothing to lose by redirecting the “NO SALE” traffic and, in theory, would then only see hits from those committed to ENROLLING.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth KCB. I’m all that’s between you and certain death. Bishop would never take my advice. Chances are good he won’t this time either. You’ll probably be allowed to live.

EVenin’
The Place that I interviewed at yesterday was supposed to call me by 6P CST if they were interested in hiring me.
They didn’t call.
I’ve a feeling that my LOA status with Wally is WHY they didn’t call.
So not only won’t Wally let me work-but they’re putting me on LOA has likely cost me a better job.
I am THISCLSE to quitting.
Might make it easier to get a better job.

“Suspected “health tourists” who are unable to prove that they are eligible for free care on the NHS will be forced to pay for treatment, while visiting foreign students will be required to make a contribution towards their medical expenses.”

….or go to the US for free care.

kcewa on October 22, 2013 at 10:47 PM

Immigration has become one of the top issues in the UK and people are sick and tired of providing free healthcare to migrants and medical tourists, especially when they have to wait, like, forevah to get treatment. And, the fact that up to 23 million Roma and Bulgarians will have a ‘right’ to emigrate to a country with a population of 61 million beginning in January hasn’t helped the political issue either.

I honestly think that the end result was single payer, except they didn’t intend for the destruction to be quite this efficient. They had expected for the crash to take a little longer. It is really hard to justify single payer on the heels of such a govt clusterfark!

The companion piece of how British docs are being paid the princely sum of £50 to put the elderly on the death lists may be dated by a few days, but is illustrative of our future.

Steve Eggleston on October 22, 2013 at 10:55 PM

The NHS runs on a target, not most favourable outcomes, system. This is partly to blame for Mid Staff’s gross negligence of patients. Administrators are more interested in meeting targets than providing healthcare. They even get paid for meeting these targets in some cases and it doesn’t even matter if the patients received adequate healthcare.

Unreal: Top HHS Officials To Brief ONLY Congressional Democrats On Obamacare Rollout Mess…

Resist We Much on October 22, 2013 at 10:43 PM

In response Issa should issue a subpoena to Sebellius, and when she doesn’t show up to testify in public and in front of the cameras, send the Capitol Police across the street to bring her over. Preferably in handcuffs.

For the congressional Democrats whose votes made the Affordable Care Act a reality and who will have to defend their support for the law in the 2014 mid-term elections, the problems with the federal website are a political nightmare.

I honestly think that the end result was single payer, except they didn’t intend for the destruction to be quite this efficient. They had expected for the crash to take a little longer. It is really hard to justify single payer on the heels of such a govt clusterfark!

uncommon sense on October 22, 2013 at 10:57 PM

I agree 100% and I hope this half assed effort of theirs stops this train before the big crash.

Agreed, KCB would be a great minefield sweeper. Sounds like a great plan. Who’s that other guy that likes to Bish with out the proper paper work? Name right on the tip of my tongue. Give me a minute or two Bishop I’ll think of him.

How the hell do you brief only half of Congress on a scheme that affects every citizen? Is HHS an authority over every American, if so then how does this work exactly. Jeebus, just when you think these criminal aholes couldn’t surprise you they manage to do just that.

Hey libfree, urban, sesqui, genunine (I’d include you, lostfatherland, but you’re a braindead loser), where are you at times like this?

The NHS runs on a target, not most favourable outcomes, system. This is partly to blame for Mid Staff’s gross negligence of patients. Administrators are more interested in meeting targets than providing healthcare. They even get paid for meeting these targets in some cases and it doesn’t even matter if the patients received adequate healthcare.

Finally liberals hate to be told their hardball policy aim is to make more Americans dependent on government.

Yeah, you stupid, calculating a$$holes …

It couldn’t ever be that the whole health insurance industry could be made — private enterprise-style, not forced — to benefit Americans of all ages by uncoupling it from employment, tort reform, a true marketplace, just as auto and homeowner insurance is.

No … you power-mad collectivists, in your absolute hunger to control …

Agreed, KCB would be a great minefield sweeper. Sounds like a great plan. Who’s that other guy that likes to Bish with out the proper paper work? Name right on the tip of my tongue. Give me a minute or two Bishop I’ll think of him.

My MD-a second amendment supporting woman-is so pissed at Wally that she’s keeping me out until the end of November. If I go back too soon-and even cough-the managers will jump on me. She also made it quite clear in the paperwork that asthmatics have flare-ups and that Wally had better get over it.

Ever watch the beginning scene of “Enemy at the Gates”? Some of you are the soldiers running forward holding a handful of bullets and no rifles, I’m the guy behind the Maxim HMG waiting for you to try and run back.

I read recently that a ‘nurse’ was brought before the court for dragging a frail, elderly man out of the bathroom across the floor, by his collar, kicking him repeatedly while shrieking “You’re an animal. You’re not even human!” because he required help using the bathroom.

Another of an elderly lady who’d been a teacher who was left to lie in soiled sheets for a week, contracted infection, and died of the willful neglect she received at the hands of her ‘nurses’… none of whom spoke English well enough to read a chart.

I love the fact that liberals arestarting to lose their minds over this. Everyone forgets that repubs gained after the Newts shutdown. Historacaly the conservatives have always gained after great prog govts. This is a huge issue, evenThe Shillary will have to overcome. As Stewart said, you can,t spin this turd. The One won,t let his sig achievment die, as it would crater his legacy. So the demcrats will have to suffer this, you cant disguise the problems nor can you spin and hide the premium costs.

Ever watch the beginning scene of “Enemy at the Gates”? Some of you are the soldiers running forward holding a handful of bullets and no rifles, I’m the guy behind the Maxim HMG waiting for you to try and run back.

Bishop on October 22, 2013 at 11:08 PM

uhmmmmm, would you mind leaning a little to your left?

That way when you fall in that direction I can just track on over to my next target.

I was almost going to feel sorry for them. I imagined — as you might imagine — getting a sweet, life-changing gig, only to have the government prod, poke, call, change, twist, and unreasonably demand me all the way to exhaustion and complete crap product. But check out their work, by their resume:

They are still trying to figure out what happened to their ebt cards the other day.

Fred

jrsrigmvr on October 22, 2013 at 10:55 PM

Stopped in to my fave convenience store on the way to work this morning for my usual morning Diet Coke. Was in line behind a woman who was pretty nicely dressed, buying a few things via EBT card. Had to leave a $3 item behind (some ‘parfait’ of some kind) because the EBT rejected it, and I guess she either didn’t have $3 or didn’t want it if it wasn’t ‘free’.

Bought my DC, then exited the store to see her climbing into what appeared to be a pristine condition, very close to new orange Dodge Charger, with very nice looking oversized after-market rims and low profile tires.

A little free advice, and it’s worth what you’re paying for it. Never tell a prospective employer that you’re on a LOA from your current one. When you say you’re on LOA, it conjures up too many questions: Was she placed on LOA because they wanted to fire her but didn’t have clear cause? Does she have some issues at home that caused them to want to give her time to just deal with? Does she have health issues that they didn’t want to address with her or the insurance carrier.

Better to say that you got caught up in a layoff tsunami or some such.

Best of luck, and I know it’s going to be okay. Smart people always find a way.

Ever watch the beginning scene of “Enemy at the Gates”? Some of you are the soldiers running forward holding a handful of bullets and no rifles, I’m the guy behind the Maxim HMG waiting for you to try and run back.

It might. You might want to talk to your doctor to see if she would be willing to give you a clean bill of heath should a potential future employer ask for it. It’s possible if they call Walmart that the manager there might try to tag you after you left if the potential employer calls for a reference or your work history.

… I do get a bit annoyed, though, with actors that seem to think that if you’re playing someone from a ‘foreign’ country – you know, like Russia – you really, really must affect a questionable British accent.

*points at the guy that played Hellboy, whom I really like, but ARGH the accent he used in EatG*

I told them WHY I was on LOA. I also told them that I wanted to work-but Walmart refused to let me work w/ restrictions. NONE of the positions that I was looking involved much time in coolers. One involved NO time in a cooler. I was willing to take a paycut to work there-and I told my interviewer that.

Ron Perlman, one of the greatest actors ever born and a spitting image of Barbara Boxer.

But yeah I hate that too which is why one of my favorite war movies is “Cross of Iron”; incredible battle scenes and the only accents you hear are the ones that naturally come from the actors such as Maximilian Schell and James Mason.

Obamacare is in the ditch
But Carney swears “It’s just a glitch.”
We heard if from an inside snitch
It gave Obama a facial twitch.
And congress says, just for a switch,
They’ll quiz that elitist Sebellius witch
And ask her “Hey! What’s the hitch?”
But can we rely on Good Ol’ Mitch
To make the “JUST REPEAL IT!” pitch
While Reid yells “Single Payer will scratch our itch!”
Lady Liberty lies bleeding without a stitch
And the GOPe betrays us… ain’t that a B*tch!